Boston landmarks such as the Prudential Center, the Massachusetts State House, UMass Boston campus, the State Street Bank Pylon and South Boston Gas Tanks will go purple in support of Project Purple.

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Project Purple is a substance abuse awareness campaign established by local basketball legend and former NBA player Chris Herren, who broke his own addiction to drugs.

He recently shared his story with NewsCenter 5's Liz Brunner.

Herren grew up in Fall River and was the pride of Durfee High School. He achieved what most only dream about: playing in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets and our own Boston Celtics, until drugs took it all away.

The former point guard said drugs helped him play "straight" on the basketball court.

Herren did his first line of cocaine at age 18 at Boston College, not knowing it would be until age 32 before he could stop using it.

One drug led to another and it wasn't long before Oxycodone and heroin flowed through his veins.

"You're playing Russian roulette every day with heroin intravenous drug use," said Herren. "You never know which shot is going to be your last."

The former addict overdosed in 2004 and in 2008. He spent time in jail, lost his job, and lost every penny he ever made playing professional basketball. A police officer even told him once that when he had found him, he'd been dead for 30 seconds.

Herren shares his nightmare with students: how he became a street junkie, pawning everything of any value from his Xbox to his wife's jewelry to get high.

"My kids went to bed some nights cold. My kids went to bed in darkness. My kids went to bed hungry," admitted Herren.

The former ballplayer hopes his story will give kids the courage to tell their story to someone, anyone who can help them, knowing that their tale is not as horrific as his.

Now, clean since Aug. 1, 2008, Herren has turned his worst days into his best.

Through the Chris Herren Project, he trains young basketball players and helps people get treatment for addiction. Surprisingly, his own basketball legacy really means nothing to him now. He considers his greatest accomplishment to be watching his three children "recover" as he has recovered from addiction.

For more information on the Chris Herren Project, and his Go Purple campaign, go to The Herren Project.